Even Heaven Cries
by Kristina Angelina
Summary: (AU where yamis have their own bodies) It's always Yami comforting someone else. He's always the strong arms you run to when you're sad. But no one is perfect, and Yami is slowly sinking into despair. Who can save him from darkness? (Officially labeled as Darkshipping and one-sided Clashshipping, rating raised due to language and eventual lemons and non-con)
1. Prologue

**This is just the prologue, not an actual chapter; it's why it's so short. If y'all review and say you want more, I'll upload more chapters!**

 **(btw, just as a fyi, this will contain yaoi. I'm not sure what pairing, but eventual yaoi with someone x Yami. Also, this fic will deal with an OOC!Yami and possibly rape. Not in the prologue, in the future.)**

* * *

 _ **Even Heaven Cries**_

 _ **Prologue**_

"Yami?"

Yugi blinked. He'd been calling for his yami for the past five minutes, yet no sign of the former Pharaoh.

"I know he's in his room..." Yugi sighed, shaking his head.

Lately, Yami had become very distant. His friends were all worried about him, as it was uncharacteristic of the duelist to be so secluded from everyone else.

It was worrying, to say the least.

"Yami, please come out. I want to talk to you!" Yugi shouted, something akin to desperation in his voice.

Finally, the one Yugi wanted to see slowly made his way down the stairs, a less-than-cheerful look on his face.

"Yes, Yugi." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, as if Yugi had commanded him to come downstairs instead of asking him to.

The young duelist frowned. Surely he hadn't sounded cruel. "What's wrong, Yami?" he asked kindly.

The once proud Game King shook his head and forced a smile. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Yugi shook his head. "I'm sorry Yami, but that's a lie and you know it. There's no way you'd act like this if everything was fine. Something's wrong, and I won't rest till I found out what that something is."

To Yugi's surprise, however, Yami shrugged it off.

"Good luck with that."

And with that, he turned towards the stairs in preperation to go to his room, ignoring Yugi's pleas for him to not leave. But it was Yugi grabbing hold of his arm in an effort to get him to stay that grabbed Yami's attention.

"Let go of me!" Yami cried, his voice so full of shock and horror that Yugi, surprised as well, immediately let go.

And the moment he did so, Yami fled upstairs. His hikari didn't bother giving chase; after all, he'd done as little as grab his twin's arm and Yami had flipped.

Yugi pulled out his cell phone and dialed Ryou's phone number as fast as he could.

 _"Hello, Ryou Bakura speaking."_

Yugi smiled slightly before answering, "Hey Ryou, it's Yugi."

 _"Hey Yugi! How are you? How's Yami?"_

At the mention of his yami, the youth frowned. "I'm fine, thanks, but Yami isn't doing so well."

 _"What's wrong?"_ Ryou sounded concerned.

"He's pushing everyone away, like he doesn't want to talk to us. All he does is stay in his room all day and stare at the ceiling," Yugi said sadly. "Plus, when he finally did come downstairs, I touched his arm and he freaked out, like I was a threat or something."

Ryou was quiet for a moment before finally saying, _"That isn't good Yugi. It sounds like something dreadful has happened to Yami, but his pride is getting in the way of him telling us. Maybe he thinks he'll be a burden if he does say something. Or that we won't accept him anymore."_

"Of course we'd accept him!"

Yugi heard Ryou let out a long sigh on the other end of the line. _"I know, Yugi, I know. But it doesn't seem like he knows that. Perhaps if you reminded him..."_

Yugi nodded despite the fact that Ryou couldn't see him do so. "Alright, Ryou. I will. Thanks for the help."

" _You're welcome Yugi. Goodbye!"_

"Goodbye!"

After hanging up with Ryou, Yugi made the short journey upstairs to talk with his yami and inform him that, no matter what, all of his friends would stay by his side and that he wasn't weak just because he was hurt.

But there was a bit of a problem.

Yami wasn't in his room.

* * *

 **Dun dun dun!**

 **Seriously though, how was it? Should I continue? Or does this fic need to crawl into a hole and die? xD Please tell me!**


	2. Chapter 1 - Broken and Bleeding

**Hey guys! *waves* I got 2 amazinglicious reviews telling me to continue, so, here I am!**

 **Yami: Oh joy.**

 **Oh shush! Anywho, let me go over the warnings once again:**

 **This story will contain the following in the future: Yaoi (I've decided this fic is going to be Darkshipping, because it's adorkable), rape / non-consensual relationships, angst, OOC characters (mostly Yami, but he's not really OOC, it's just showing his human side) and so on.**

 **Yami: O_O What's wrong with you?!**

 ***shrugs* Anyway, thanks for the lovely reviews! *hands out fudge brownies, lemonade, and plushies* Enjoy! (and sorry if this seems rushed, i'm busy and I don't feel well)**

 **italics mean past tense**

 _'this means thoughts'_

 _/hikari talking to yami/_

 ** _\yami talking to hikari\_**

 **a line, like the one below, signifies a scene change**

* * *

 _ **E**_ _ **ven Heaven Cries**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

 _ **Broken and Bleeding**_

 _Yami felt pleased with life._

 _He had supportive friends, his own apartment that he would soon be able to pay for himself, and his own body._

 _The last one was something Isis had granted both him and Bakura. The Spirit of The Ring had changed and was no longer the sadistic being he had been(although he did play pranks on Yami daily). As for Marik's yami, Isis had - as far as everyone knew - denied him the luxury for obvious reasons._

 _The main one being he was still utterly psychotic and it was in no way safe to "release him to the public", as Isis had put it._

 _But, nonetheless, life was good for the former Pharaoh._

 _"Hey Yami!"_

 _Yami smiled at his friend's voice, "Hello, Tea."_

 _The brunette ran over and smiled, catching her breath. "I just finished dance class, and I was on my way to the Game Shop to ask you and Yugi if you guys would like to come over." She took a deep breath and added, "Yugi told me at school earlier that your stove wasn't working so you couldn't cook, so I decided to cook a big dinner for everyone!"_

 _"That's very kind of you, Tea," the spirit of the Puzzle said appreciatively, nodding his head in agreement. "I'll come, as will Yugi, I'm sure."_

 _She nodded, "Okay, that's gre-"_

 _Yami's face suddenly contorted with worry. Tea looked horrified._

 _"Behind you..." she whispered, taking a step back._

 _Immediately, he whipped his head around, only to have his own eyes widen in shock._

 _"Yami... Marik?!"_

 _The yami smirked. "Hello there, Pharaoh. Oh, and you, friendship whore."_

 _"Don't call Tea such a thing!" Yami's eyes narrowed. "You're after me. Leave her, and everyone else alone. That includes your hikari, as I'm assuming you 've got your own body somehow."_

 _Yami Marik simply laughed. "I'll leave them alone," he grinned, "if you come with me willingly, Pharaoh. Do we have a deal?"_

 _Wincing at the prospect of going anywhere with the psycho, Yami managed to nodhis head in agreement. "Alright. But you had better stay true to your word."_

 _Yami Marik only threw his head back and laughed with deranged glee. During said laughing fit, Yami pressed a note into Tea's hand, which he had hastily scribbled a few seconds ago._

 _Tea unfolded the note, her blue eyes scanning it quickly._

 _It read:_

 _"_ _ **Tea, no matter what, don't tell anyone about this. If they ask where I am, tell them I'm looking for a job. But no matter what, don't tell them I'm with Yami Marik. I don't want everyone to panic."**_

 _Tea nodded reluctantly. She had a feeling Yami didn't want to her to say anything for another reason entirely, but it was far too late to press the duelist for questions as Yami Marik was already beckoning him._

 _"Goodbye, Tea, and don't worry," Yami smiled. "I'll be fine."_

 _And with that, both yamis disappeared._

Crimson eyes snapped open.

"Where... am I?" Yami mumbled to himself, sitting up slowly. His body felt as if it had been hit by a truck, and he was in an unidentifiable room, laying on a bed.

He wasn't bound or gagged, which lowered the chance of this being a kidnapping - but what was it, then?

"Sleeping Beauty's awake, is he? Finally. You sleep like a baby, Pharaoh."

 _'Pharaoh?'_ Yami thought in surprise. _'The only people who still call me that are...'_

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you. I used a small amount of drugs to knock you out, so if you're feeling like utter shit right now, that's why."

 _'So it IS Bakura.'_

"That's not the only reason I'm feeling like utter shit," Yami muttered under his breath. Bakura heard him anyway.

"Yes, and my hikari is forcing me to find out why," the Spirit of The Ring let out a 'woeful' sigh. "So, Pharaoh, what's got you so down in the dumps. Tell me."

Yami raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why am I telling you, exactly?"

"Because I care, you idiot."

Was he being sarcastic? Or did he actually care? Yami noted his voice didn't sound sarcastic, but this was Bakura, so the chance of him caring was little to none.

But then again, he _had_ changed, so maybe...?

Yami's somewhat-hopeful thoughts were interrupted by Bakura rapping his fist against the nightstand that stood next to the bed the former teen was laying on.

Sighing at the thief's persistant nature, Yami caved in. "Alright, I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else. And I'm only telling you because -" the former Pharaoh quickly cut himself off and lowered his voice. " - because you're probably the only one that would understand."

Now Bakura was curious. "And why would that be?" he asked with a small smirk.

"Because you've been stripped of your pride before," the Spirit of the Puzzle whispered quietly.

It was true. In Ancient Egypt, there was no denying Bakura had gone through hell. But it made no sense in the former tombrobber's mind that Yami was being so open to him after only a few minutes of prodding.

"Go ahead then," Bakura paused. "Atem."

A small smile graced Yami's lips. It was nice to hear his real name once and awhile. "Yami" meant darkness, after all, something he most certainly wasn't.

Rather, something he hadn't been. Now, it was the very thing he was slowly sinking into with each passing day.

"Yami Marik has his own body," Yami sympathized with the somewhat horrified look on Bakura's face, "and came... looking for me, shall we say."

"And what did the bastard do?" Bakura inquired, trying to bury the posessive note in his voice.

The regal duelist was silent for a moment before finally saying, "Nothing, really."

"If he did nothing, how come you're acting like a frightened puppy?" The Spirit of The Ring asked skeptically. He himself didn't know why he was so concerned; he just... was.

 _/I think you like Yami, 'Kura./_

 _ **\Shut up Ryou! I do NOT like the Pharaoh, and I NEVER will!\**_

 _/Goodness. You flew to your defense so quickly. I wonder why.../_

 _ **\You little-\**_

Bakura was so caught up in his mental 'war' with Ryou, he didn't notice Yami chuckling quietly at the look on his face. By the time he did notice, Yami was practically howling with laughter.

"Shut up Pharaoh!" Even though Bakura said this, a part of him felt pleased it had been him to make Yami laugh.

 _/See? You DO like him!/_

 _ **\Don't you have better things to do?\**_

 _/Oh, of course, but watching my 'cold-hearted' yami struggle with a crush is much more interesting than cooking dinner. Wouldn't you agree?/_

 _ **\Fuck no.\**_

 _/No swearing, Bakura. Make sure to put money in the swear jar after dinner./_

 _ **\You're like a damn mother!\**_

Ryou only chuckled through their mind-link and went back to preparing their dinner.

* * *

"Thanks for cheering me up, Bakura," Yami said with a smile. He was just now leaving the Bakura residence, but felt the need to thank his former enemy for his help.

Bakura replied with an embarrassed "hmph" and stalked upstairs, muttering under his breath, "you're welcome" as he did so.

"Goodnight, Yami," Ryou said softly, offering him a gentle smile. "Have a safe trip home!"

"Thank you, Ryou, and good night to you as well."

Closing the door quietly behind himself, Yami slowly began his trip back home. His apartment wasn't that far away from the Bakura residance, but he was still extremely paranoid, and so, he headed towards the Game Shop instead.

The wind caressed his blond bangs as he walked, blowing them into his line of vision. It annoyed Yami greatly, since he was constantly on the look out, crimson eyes peering at every nook and cranny.

But why was he so nervous?

No one knew.

Yet.

* * *

"Yami! There you are!"

Smiling, Yami quickly returned his other self's hug. "Hello, Yugi," he laughed, "I missed you too."

Yugi's large eyes widened even more. "Yami... you're..."

"Happy again?"

The boy nodded his head rapidly. "You wouldn't even come out of your room earlier - in fact, you disappeared - and now you're talking and laughing and -"

The Spirit of the Puzzle smiled slightly. "I know Yugi, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you and the others worry. But after having a chat with Bakura, I feel... happier." His smile faded. "But I'm still uneasy, so allow me to apologize in advance if I return to my secluded self."

Yugi bit his lip. "Will you tell me what's wrong now, Yami?"

The slightly taller boy shook his head, "I'm afraid not. It's nothing against you, I just don't want you and the others to worry about me."

"You're our friend, Yami! Of course we'd worry about you!" Yugi sighed. "You make it sound like that's a bad thing. Or that we shouldn't worry about you at all."

Noticing Yami's attitude was leaning towards his previously dreary self, Yugi quickly changed the subject.

"Tea made you some chicken dumpling soup," he held up a small pot proudly. "I made the dumplings myself, in fact."

Yami laughed, "Uh-oh. I should be careful eating that."

"HEY!" Yugi cried indignantly, although he couldn't help but smile, which soon turned into a chuckle of his own.

Soon, both boys were laughing cheerfully. It warmed Yugi's heart to see his partner sound so buden-free, even if it was just for a moment. But what he didn't know, was that a certain entity was determined to make sure the Pharaoh would never laugh - let alone smile - again.

"Laugh while you can, sweetheart. Soon, all your ears will hear are your beautiful screams of pain!"

* * *

 **...yeah, I think we all know who's going to be Yami's tormenter now.**

 **Yami: You mean besides you? _**

 **Whateves. And yes, I like Tea. She's awesome. So shush haters. And can someone please tell me the shipping name for Yami Marik x Yami? I believe it was Clashshipping, correct me if I'm wrong.**

 **Bakura: Why am I so bloody nice to the Pharaoh?!**

 **Because you have a bloody crush on him, that's why! And I love making Bakura nice, can you tell? I don't think it's making him OOC; I think if he makes peace with his past, which, in this fic, he has, then he'd be a nice guy (as nice as Bakura can be lol).**

 **I'm SO sorry if there's mistakes, please forgive me! *bows* I'm just a home-schooled 13 year old girl who taught herself grammar, so I'm not the greatest author *rubs head sheepishly*, but give me a chance, okay?**

 **I'd be honored if you'd review and keep reading my story! Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Bandaids and Bullet Holes

**Hey again! Thanks to my lovely reviewers; Gewlface and Queen of Yu-Gi-Oh, as well as YamiRox1010 for following and faving!**

 **However, I have over 100 clicks on my story and only two (lovely) people have written a Ra-damned review. Come on, my readers. I know you can do better than that. So if you read, review, please! It makes me sad when people don't review. So if you do review or have reviewed, merci, c'est sympa (thanks, I appreciate it).**

 **I've raised the rating because there will be a bunch of angst, torture, language and etc. due to Yami Marik in later chapters, so watch out and don't say I don't warn you.**

 _ **If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh!, everyone would be homosexual and there'd be a lot of drama and kidnapping and angst and yaoi and - you get the point. I don't own it. It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, lucky bastard.**_

 _'thoughts'_

 **"someone talking on a phone or through another electronic device"**

 _/hikari to yami/_

 ** _\yami to hikari\_**

 **a line like the one below signifies a scene change**

* * *

 _ **Even Heaven Cries**_

 _ **Chapter 2**_

 _ **Bandaids and Bullet Holes**_

"Come on, Marik."

"There is no way in hell I'm going to -"

Yami Marik scoffed. "So you've grown attached to them, hikari?" He grinned, "Tell me, is there anyone in particular you like?"

It was Marik's turn to scoff. "As if I'd tell you if there was, but no, there isn't. I'm not a fool, ' _Mariku'._ I'm done with my past. I won't willingly hurt Yami or anyone else anymore."

The darkness smirked at him. "Exactly. You won't do so willingly, but trust me, hikari, when I say I have my ways with getting others to do my bidding."

"Never!" The other blonde snapped. "I'd rather die than side with you!"

"I've come to realize that," Mariku chuckled lowly. "But what if it were someone else dying in your place?"

Marik frowned. "And who would that be? Sister and Odion are out of town and won't be back for a few weeks."

The darker half of the two took a step forward, grinning at the slight step back he receieved in response.

"How about we play a guessing game?" Mariku continued, brandishing a pocket knife. He pointed it at Marik's prone throat. "You'll list the names of your little friends, and I'll guess which one of them you care the most about. Sound fun?"

He almost giggled at the glare his hikari sent him. Pushing the tip of the knife into the Egyptian teen's skin just enough to draw blood, he murmured, "Begin."

"No..." Marik gasped, suddenly finding it difficult to breath. "...I won't... betray... them..."

"Is it... hmm, let's see, little Yugi?" Mariku grinned, trailing the knife menacingly down his light's chest. "No? What about Bakura? You two spent quite a bit of time together during Battle City."

Wincing at the thought of the event, Marik summoned the strength to glare harshly at his yami. "...piss off, you...bastard. Leave them... alone!"

"What about his hikari? Little, sweet, innocent Ryou?" The darkness burst out laughing at the horrified look in his hikari's eyes. Though the boy had managed to keep his face somewhat stoic, there was no doubt that he was starting to panic. "I'm right, aren't I. There's no use denying it, hikari. I _can_ read your mind, you know."

"No!" Marik cried, shoving Mariku away with all the strength his drained body posessed. He glared once more. "You can rip me apart limb from limb, but you will _never_ hurt him. Try, and I'll personally slit your throat."

Grinning devilishly, Yami Marik shook his head. "What happened to changing your evil ways, hikari?" He pouted, "I'm disappointed. I don't think Ryou would approve of your... aggressive behavior, now would he?"

"I told you once, and I'll tell you again. _Don't. Touch. Him_ ," Marik's voice was dangerously low, every single word loaded with venom.

"I will, hikari, if you don't help me," Mariku smiled with a sickening sweetness.

TThe blonde youth took a deep breath, pausing to think for a moment. If he ended up betraying his recently-gained friends, not only would they hate him, but Ryou would as well. But if he didn't, Ryou would suffer, and his yami would simply go after Yami anyway.

Either way, someone was going to get hurt.

"You know how protective Bakura is of his hikari," Marik muttered in an attempt to stall for time. "There's no way you could mess with Ryou and he wouldn't notice. You'd be killed on the spot."

"Oh, but Ryou goes to school - without his yami, might I add." The psychotic man smirked, "I'm sorry hikari, but there's no way out of this."

Violet eyes narrowed with hatred. "I won't help you, but I'm not putting Ryou in danger either."

Mariku raised a curious eyebrow. "And how do you plan on accomplishing both at the same time?"

"Watch me, you bastard. Watch me..."

* * *

"Moto Residence, Yami speaking."

 _ **"Hey, Yami..."**_

Crimson eyes widened in surprise. "Marik?" he frowned the undertone of urgency in the blonde's voice, "Why are you calling so late at night?"

 _ **"I need to warn you about something. It's extremely important and it cannot wait."**_

Letting out a quiet sigh, Yami shook his head, "Marik, if you're referring to your yami looking for me, I already know -"

 _ **"But that's not all he's trying to do, Yami. He's trying to get me to help him, and if I don't, he claims he's going to go after Ryou. I don't want him to get hurt, but I didn't want to help my yami either..."**_

 _'Ryou? Why would he go after Ryou, I wonder?'_

"Marik, calm down. I'll phone Ryou right now and ask him if he's alright, just to make sure. He can stay overnight at the Game Shop, if the thief - I mean Bakura - will let him."

 _ **"Thank you, Yami Yugi."**_

"You're welcome. Would you like to stay overnight as well?" Yami frowned once again, "It's dangerous to live on your own with Yami Marik on the loose."

 _ **"...I suppose you're right. Thanks for the offer."**_

"Once again, you're welcome. Goodnight, Marik. See you soon."

Letting out a long, trouble sigh, Yami threw himself onto the couch and rubbed his temple. More and more innocent people were getting caught up in this fiasco. That was exactly what he _hadn't_ wanted.

"I should call Ryou now," The ex-Pharaoh reminded himself, picking up the phone once more and dialing the albino hikari's phone number. "Hello?"

 _ **"...Yami? Why on God's earth are you calling so late?"**_

Yami smiled slightly, then quickly sobered once more. "Ryou, I need to tell you something very important, and I'd like to have your full attention."

He heard the quick rustling of covers and knew the sound was Ryou sitting up in bed, obviously worried.

 _ **"Yes? What is it? What's wrong?"**_

"For your own personally safety, please come down to the Game Shop." Taking a deep breath, Yami continued, "Marik's yami is back, Ryou. He's looking for me for a reason I'd rather not say, and he tried to get Marik to assist him in doing so. Marik refused, and now he's trying to take you hostage and force Marik into helping him."

Ryou gasped softly. _**"Thank you for telling me, I'll wake Bakura - oh, nevermind, he's already awake. Okay, we're heading over there now, and thank you again!"**_

At that moment, the door bell rung. Yami glanced at the door somewhat hesitantly, not knowing who to expect, before remembering he'd invited Marik over as well and the Egyptian didn't live too far away.

"I wonder why I've been so forgetful lately...?" Yami said to himself, running a hand through his tri-colored hair. He shook his head and quickly twisted the door knob, revealing a certain blonde with a bag slung over his shoulder and a grim expression on his face.

Yami stepped aside and let him in, peaking over the blonde's shoulder out of pure paranoia. He knew he was overreacting to a certain extent, but he could never forget the feeling of Yami Marik's lips on his own, and then the whispered promise in his ear:

 _"You can run anywhere you'd like, but you'll never escape from me."_

A shudder racking the ex-Pharaoh's body. He wasn't frightened easily, but those words and the lustful way the psychotic yami had said them chilled him to the bone.

"Yami? You okay?" Yugi's voice suddenly asked, interrupting Yami's thoughts. The teen saw Marik sitting on the couch and greeted the boy, offering him a slight smile. "What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking," he added quickly.

Marik stared the floor for a moment, wondering how the hell he was going to explain something like _this_ to Yugi. He didn't want to just come out and say, "Hey, my yami wants to screw your yami's brains out. That okay?"

A quiet knock on the door interrupted the little tyrade Marik was currently having in his head. Noticing Yami's somewhat shaken appearance, the blond quickly sat up and walked briskly to the door. He cracked it open a bit out of caution, just to make sure it wasn't his yami.

Ryou stood there in his pyjamas (baby blue shorts and a navy-blue short-sleeve shirt) with flushed cheeks, as if he'd been running the whole way there. His yami was behind him, face neutral, but eyes burning with anger. He obviously wasn't pleased with Yami Marik's choice of a hostage (and being awakened in the middle of the night, but that was irrelevant).

"Come in," Marik whispered softly, offering the mild-mannered boy a smile.

Ryou nodded and quickly stepped inside, greeting both Yugi and Yami, the latter still confused as to what was going on. Bakura followed soon after, eyes still narrowed with rage.

"Yami, what's going on?" Yugi finally asked the question that had been pestering him for serveral minutes.

"Well, midget," Bakura began non-too-kindly, ignoring the glare he received from the 'midget's' other half, "Marik's yami has somehow gotten his own body and is roaming the streets in search of your yami. According to the Pharaoh, he's after my hikari, which is why he and I are here. Marik is probably here hiding from his psychotic-asshole of a yami. That answer your question?"

Yugi's eyes widened slightly at the idea of Yami Marik with his own body, but quickly recovered himself and nodded his head. "Thanks, Bakura."

The ex Tombrobber snorted and rolled his eyes as he sat himself in a chair. "So, Pharaoh, if that fucker comes here, what do you plan on doing?" he sounded very calm, which thoroughly surprised the others in the room, as he'd been livid moments ago.

"I don't know, really," Yami replied dejectedly. "He's stronger than both of us. You know this. There isn't any way we could overpower him physically, and I have a feeling the whole Shadow Realm thing wouldn't work. If he managed to get more power _and_ his own body, it was not by his own doing. Someone - or some _thing,_ is assisting him."

"What about the power of you and Bakura combined?" Marik inquired. "Wouldn't that be effective?"

The tri-color haired Pharaoh shrugged. "Normally it would, but I don't think your yami has the same amount of strength he did as before. He's far stronger, even if Bakura and I team up."

"It's good that you're surrendering, Pharaoh. I didn't want to have to hurt you just yet."

Yami's head whipped around, wine-red eyes widening. "How did you..."

"Get in?" Yami Marik supplied with an almost cheerful tone. He grinned, "Like you said, Pharaoh, my strength is greater than before." His eyes traveled over the group in front of him. "Were you having a party, my Pharaoh? Why wasn't I invited?" he pouted, then began taking several menacing steps forward, grin only widening at the fear he smelled.

"Oh, Bakura!" The psychotic blonde exclaimed suddenly, laughing at the look of utter hatred the albino spirit sent him. "How nice to see you. And little Ryou too. And is that your hikari I see as well, Pharaoh? How sweet. You're trying to protect everyone by having them in your line of vision, aren't you." he smiled at Yami.

"Leave them alone," the Spirit of the Puzzle gritted out, eyes blazing with anger. "Look, you bastard. I'll make you a deal. If I give myself up to you and your twisted desires, you _will never_ touch _any_ of my friends _again_. Is that clear?"

Yami Marik pretended to ponder this proposition, before grinning maliciously. "Alright, I agree. But does Bakura really count as one of your friends? Just a curious question. After all, you two used to hate each other with every fiber of your being. It's odd to see you sharing a room without fighting tooth and nail."

Yami glanced over his shoulder at Bakura, who had an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed, eyes still narrowed in silent rage.

"You won't touch him either. That's all I have to say on the matter," Yami replied finally, glaring at the still-grinning blonde. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but notice the hikari **(1)** glance from Bakura to him.

Yami Marik raised an eyebrow, only smirking in reply, before changing the subject.

"Hikari, I haven't forgotten about your little... rebellious attitude earlier," he smiled maliciously at Ryou, who shivered and instinctively took a step back.

"Remember what I said _,"_ Yami said with a warning tone, glaring. He then glanced apologetically at Yugi, who's eyes were wider than usual due to shock. "I'm sorry, Yugi. I wish I could put up a fight. But I don't want to hurt any of you."

"Touching," Bakura muttered under his breath. His eyes re-focused on Yami Marik. " But the Pharaoh is wrong."

Yami blinked, confused. What the hell was he _wrong_ about? "Bakura, this isn't the time to -"

"Shut up and let me handle this."

The Milleniuem Puzzle's spirit narrowed his eyes, wary. "Tombrobber, I don't want to endanger any of you. Take the hikari and flee. Don't be reckless," it almost sounded like he was pleading.

It was Bakura's turn to glare. "Why don't _you_ do that Pharaoh?"

" Because he knows what will happen if he does," Yami Marik answered, his tone dangerously low. "I'm growing tired of your stalling, _Yami._ If you do not come with me in the next ten seconds, you can forget that little deal we made earlier."

Trying his hardest to ignore the unnerving way his nickname **(2)** was spoken, Yami bit his lip and nodded his head submissively, something you'd rarely -if ever- see the Pharaoh do. "Fine."

Poor Yugi looked horrified, as did the other two hikari, at the thought of Yami Marik left alone with a person as strong Yami. The former would surely want to break the smaller man, due to his strong spirit.

Bakura winced, knowing the same thing, but did his best to conceal his facial expression as he murmured "good luck" under his breath.

Yami Marik grinned, extending his hand towards Yami in a beckoning gesture. With one last glance at his friends and Bakura, the tri-color haired youth made his way silently over to the more sadistic yami, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Say goodbye, my Pharaoh. You'll never see them again, after all," the blonde yami whispered in the other's ear.

Yami glared at him defiantly, as if saying, 'I will see them again, and you can't stop me'.

Yami Marik only laughed hauntingly, and with a swirl of his long, purple cape, the two were gone.

* * *

 **Q &A! (also, I know this seems rushed, but hey, I've been taking care of three sick people, I cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a family of 6 with two boys who can eat a truck load, I'm only 13, I have my own stuff to do and etc. so don't flip on me, please, i'm trying! ;u;)**

 **(1) When I say "the hikari", i'm referring to all three of them, just so you know. "The hikaris" just doesn't sound right.**

 **(2) Yami's true name is - spoilers for those who haven't finished Yu-Gi-Oh! - Atem. So Yami is really just a nickname for him, you know?**

 **And yes, I've managed to throw Angstshipping in here as a minor pairing. xD Sorry, I just love it too much. It's only a minor pairing, though. The main focus will be Darkshipping and one-sided Clashshipping (Yami Marik and Yami Yugi).**

 **Also, I will refer to Yami Marik as Mariku in the future (like I did in the beginning of this chapter). "Mariku" is actually Marik's name in Japanese. I will also refer to Yami as "Atem" as the story progresses. You'll see why.**

 **Thanks to my lovely-awesome-beautiful-amazing reviewer known as Gewlface, I've bumped up Bakura's meanness just a notch so he's more in character. Sorry about that, by the way.**

 **Bakura: You had better be.**

 **Oh shut up.**

 **I don't want this note to be too long since the author's note at the beginning was, so all I have to say is:**

 **The rating is now M because... well, as you can see, Yami Marik has gotten his hands on Yami / Atem, so there WILL be a bunch of not-nice-stuff (read the warnings in the prologue).**

 **Thanks for reading, and PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU, PLEASEEEEEE REVIEW!**

 **Au revoir!**


	4. Chapter 3 - The Past Is Now The Present

**...hey. Sorry for taking so long, but a number of things are infuriating me right now, so this chapter won't be too good. Sorry about that. To a name a few of the "things": I keep having migraines and light-headedness, I feel tired all the time, I just got two teeth pulled, my older brother is acting like a total bastard, and my IBS - look it up - is really acting up today. All in all, I'm not feeling it.**

 **Thanks to the kind people who reviewed. I really appreciate you all, honestly. But seriously. 216 views and only 6 reviews? *eye twitches* Come on, guys. Seriously. If you read, review. That's the only thing us authors get as thanks, and it's a little hurtful when hardly anyone takes the time to say something.**

 **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. There. I said it.**

 _italics mean flashbacks or past events_

 _'this means thoughts'_

 **WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS RAPE! (not very graphic, but I have warned you)**

* * *

 _ **Even Heaven Cries**_

 _ **Chapter 3**_

 _ **The Past Is Now The Present**_

The first thing Yami noticed when he awoke was how much his wrists and ankles hurt. He assumed this was due to the fact that he'd been tied up and moved on to trying to assess where he was.

The room wasn't pitch black, but it wasn't exactly bright either, so his vision was still hindered somewhat (he was grateful he wasn't blindfolded), but he could tell that he was in the home of a very well-off person.

"It looks like Seto was the one who captured me, not Marik's yami," the fromer Pharaoh muttered to himself.

"What a flattering statement. This place is quite lovely, isn't it, my dear slave?"

Eyes narrowing at being referred to as a slave, Yami locked gazes with his kidnapper.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your tender feelings," Mariku pouted mockingly, "but that's exactly what you are now. You're no longer a Pharaoh, _Atem._ "

"Don't call me that, bastard," Yami snarled, a harsh fire burning in his eyes. "I might have let you take me, but that doesn't mean I'll submit. On the contrary; I only agreed to coming with you quietly, not submitting to you completely."

He knew he was treading on thin ice here, considering the blonde yami could easily threaten Yugi or another one of his friends and Yami would then force himself to submit out of concern for the others.

"You're correct, slave," a malicious grin spread across Mariku's face. "However. I can always _force you into submission._ "

Before Yami could retort, he was slammed into the wall behind him, rough lips claiming his own.

"I missed you, my love..." Mariku hissed into the others' ear, licking the lobe painfully slow.

"I'm not your lover," Yami gasped as he felt teeth nip at a sensitive spot on his neck. "We're, we're over. We've been over for thousands of years."

Mariku snorted, "Tell me, _Your Highness,_ who do you love now?" His voice darkened. "Who is the one who dares to try and take my angel away from me?"

Smirking at the slight turn of tables, Yami replied, "Bakura. I love Bakura."

He was only saying this to irk the other yami; after all, a flustered Yami Marik wouldn't think as clearly as a calm one, heightening his chance of escape. He'd chosen Bakura as the tomb-robber was someone that was involved in both of their pasts.

But did he actually love Bakura? Was it really just an act?

 _'Even if I did, it wouldn't matter,'_ Yami thought bitterly. _'He'd never return my feelings.'_

"Him?" Mariku's surprised voice interrupted the duelist's bitter thoughts. "You love the tomb-robber?"

"Why yes, I do," Yami replied saucily. "So why don't you stop trying to fuck me, and -"

"Sounds good to me, Pharaoh."

Yami's eyes widened as his shirt was ripped off of his chest and promptly thrown to the floor, quickly followed by his pants and underwear.

His mind clicked in realization.

"Stop it, you bastard! Don't you dare!" The tri-color haired teen shrieked, panicked for once in his life. "STOP IT! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

No.

No.

This wouldn't happen again.

Not again…

Never again…

Never, ever again...

* * *

" _I'm Mariku," a tanned hand gripped his own and hauled the boy to his feet. 'Mariku' grinned. "And who is the beauty standing in front of me?"_

" _Yami," Atem replied nervously. He hadn't meant to run into someone. What if the tall blonde found out he was the prince? As much as he didn't want it to be true, his father wasn't the most favored man, despite his rule._

" _Darkness, eh? **(1)** " Mariku smiled warmly. "Well, Yami, for someone who's named after darkness, you certainly are an angel."_

 _Atem blushed furiously. Sure, there were many women who'd said similar and hadn't made him bat an eyelid – but this… this stranger… he was… different._

" _You're too kind," the youth murmured softly, shaking his head._

 _Mariku frowned. "Surely many have informed you of your beauty." He smiled as the shorter blushed again._

" _Mariku, this might sound odd, but..." Atem swallowed. "...what do you think of the Pharaoh?"_

 _Violet eyes blinked in surprise, but the older boy answered nonetheless, a frown painted on his sharp features. "I don't know much about him to make a solid argument, but I have heard that he slaughtered an entire village. An innocent, village, Yami, that posed no threat at all."_

" _Did he kill the children? And the women?" Atem's voice trembled slightly, appalled at the thought of his father doing such a thing. But it was true; he'd heard the High Priests say the same thing._

" _Yes," Mariku answered quietly. He blinked. "Why do you ask, angel?"_

" _I've heard rumors about him," the tanned-youth replied softly. "It seems as if no one respects him."_

" _Why do you care?" The older inquired with an amused tone._

" _I...he's my Pharaoh. Shouldn't I – rather, shouldn't we, respect him?"_

" _Respect is due to those who deserve it, angel," Mariku answered quietly. His eyes narrowed. "And I know for a fact he doesn't deserve it."_

" _I thought you said you weren't sure?" It was Atem's turn to raise an eyebrow at Mariku's sudden shift of attitude._

" _I have a friend; his name's Bakura. Don't tell him I told you," Mariku winked before continuing with a suddenly solemn tone. "His village was the one that was destroyed. He saw his parents murdered right before his very eyes, not to mention the corpses of his friends and family. He was very young when it happened."_

" _That's horrible..." Atem whispered to himself, shaking his head. He tried to blink away the burning feeling in his eyes and looked up at the other boy. "Do you know why F – I mean, the Pharaoh would do such a thing?"_

 _Mariku raised an eyebrow. "What were you going to say instead of 'Pharaoh'?"_

" _Just a slip of the tongue," the youth reassured a little too quickly. He inwardly berated himself for the slip-up._

 _Shaking his head, Mariku shrugged. "Bakura tells me it was to gain the souls that inhabited those who lived there. A total of 99 souls **(2)** were needed to create the Millennium Items. But he also says the Pharaoh is a bastard and deserves to be burned alive for what he's done."_

 _Atem winced at the harsh way his father's name was being tarnished, but said nothing, knowing it would blow his cover._

" _Angel, there's no use in hiding who you are, you know." Mariku grinned at the shocked look on his new companion's face. "I know you're the prince of Egypt. Your cloak fell down when I helped you up, but I suppose you didn't notice, did you?"_

 _Crimson eyes widened in shock and worry. Mariku didn't seem to like the Pharaoh very much, nor did his friend Bakura. This couldn't end well._

" _Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Mariku reassured, offering a half smile. He frowned, "But why did you want to know so much about your father's past and what he's done?"_

" _Because I don't want to live a lie, Mariku," Atem answered softly. "I don't want to lie to myself and say everything's alright. I know people are suffering, and I know my father's done many things he shouldn't have. I want to make it right, but I don't know how."_

" _That's very admirable of you, little angel, for wanting to fix what your father has broken," Mariku smiled and took Atem's smaller hands in his, briefly marveling at how smooth the skin was._

 _Blushing under the others' touch, Atem nodded his head._

 _A gentle, sweet, loving kiss was placed ever so softly on Atem's lips. His heart soared with joy as he stared into Mariku's beautiful violet eyes, full of love and gratitude. He was genuinely touched by Atem's words, which pleased the young prince greatly, causing him to smile._

" _I'm sure the palace guards are going to start looking for you, my angel. You must be on your way," Mariku whispered sadly, trying his hardest not to frown with displeasure, for he knew this would only make Atem guiltier._

" _I agree," Atem said reluctantly. He smiled slightly as he pulled on his cloak. "Can I see you again, Mariku?"_

" _Of course, angel." The smile on the blonde's face suddenly disappeared. "However, Bakura and I don't live in the best of places. Beware: there are criminals lurking in every corner. I'd advise you watch out. I wouldn't want you getting hurt, after all."_

 _Rolling his eyes at his fellow Egyptian's last words, Atem waved goodbye one last time before turning around and quickly running in the opposite direction. His heart stung, reminding him he missed Mariku already._

 _The midnight sky was full of bright, twinkling stars, each full of life, giving hope to those who glanced up at them. Atem couldn't help but smile slightly, remembering his mother, who had loved to carry her son to the balcony and show him the beautiful lights._

 _He missed his kind, gracious mother. She had been his whole world._

 _She had died of a disease that had swept through Egypt many years ago. Atem hadn't gotten sick as he'd been rushed out of Egypt at the first notice of sickness. His father had luckily survived, but the epidemic had weakened him immensely, and he was no longer the strong, capable Pharaoh he had been._

 _The sickness had weakened him physically, while his queen's death had weakened him mentally and emotionally. He'd mourn for days on end, allowing no one – not even his own son – to visit him._

 _His mother was a wonderful woman, and many said that was where Atem got his grace and compassion for other human beings from. The boy found it an honor that he reminded them of his mother._

 _So preoccupied was Atem with thoughts of his mother, he didn't notice a gang of men creeping up behind him with lustful looks on their faces._

" _Well well. What **do** we have here? A little lost beauty who can't find his sweet ass home?" Drunken laughter followed._

 _Whirling around immediately (making sure his cloak didn't fall off as he did so), Atem glared at the criminals._

" _Get away from me you mongrels," he growled threateningly. There were six of them. Six strong, able-bodied men, versus one small little prince._

" _Don't be that way sweetheart," one smiled deceitfully and extended his hand._

 _Atem promptly slapped it away, glaring at the retreating limb. The group only laughed heartily._

" _I like it when they're feisty," a deep, breathy voice whispered in the Egyptian youth's ear. Atem visibly cringed at the smell of alcohol._

 _Before the boy could protest, his wrists were tugged swiftly behind his back and held there by one of the men. Another moved forward, chuckling maliciously, and reached for Atem's cloak._

 _Nearly shrieking with horror, the prince tried to kick the man away, fearing his life if the man found out who he was. As Mariku said, the Pharaoh wasn't respected by his people; especially by the lower class, who blamed him for their poverty. What better way to "get back" at the Pharaoh than to kill the only family he has left?_

" _Let him go, and I **might** spare your lives."_

 _Atem's ruby red eyes widened with shock at the voice. "Mariku..." he whispered softly, holding back a smile. "...you came."_

 _Mariku offered Atem a quick reassuring smile before his cold violet eyes laid themselves on the man who was holding the boy hostage._

" _I do hope you heard me earlier, gentlemen," his already deep voice dropped an octave lower. " **Release, him. Now.** "_

 _The men cowered fearfully at the sheer amount of menace in those three words. The man holding Atem hostage quickly dropped the boy before running off, the others following suit._

 _Mariku extended his hand and helped Atem up for the second time that night; this time, tugging gently and pulling the boy into his arms. He could hear the sounds of sniffling, which surprised him. Atem had looked fine before…_

 _...Mariku shook his head at his own words. He'd learned more than he had liked in his life that looks can be deceiving. The prince was so used to putting on a strong and tough front, never allowing his emotions to truly show against his will._

" _Shhh, it's alright, angel," the blonde cooed gently, gathering the now quiet boy into his arms._

" _Thank you, Mariku," Atem said softly, smiling as he snuggled into his lover's broad chest, closing his tired eyes._

 _Had his eyes been open, he would've seen a faint blush cross Mariku's cheeks._

* * *

"Mariku, STOP!"

The blonde yami blinked, surprised he'd been addressed by his name, and stopped his assault on the smaller man, curious as to what the other had to say.

"Remember, in Ancient Egypt, when we were lovers?" Yami gasped, voice strained, but still carrying

Frowning, Yami Marik nodded. "Yes. What of it?"

"How could you treat someone you supposedly love like they're nothing but a whore to be used at your will?" The ex-Pharaoh asked coldly, glaring.

Mariku only chuckled and shook his head. "Well, _Atem,_ I'm sure you remember that day in the palace you tried to fuck your little Magician. Mahaado was his name, correct?"

Ruby reds filled with surprise before narrowing, now filled with contempt. "That was after you decided to rape me and leave me for dead. Mahaado actually gave a fuck about me, unlike you."

"Oh, he certainly gave a fuck." Mariku grinned, "And as for me "raping you", you can't rape the willing, dear Pharaoh. You of all people should know that."

"I _wasn't_ willing, you bastard!" Yami snapped, surprised at his own reaction. His voice lowered, filled with pain and anger. "I told you – no, I _begged_ you – to stop, time after time after time. But did you listen? No. You only laughed and said I was enjoying it. You told me I was a said I "screwed everyone in the palace", and that you raping me was my punishment, that I deserved it."

"You deserved it then, just like you deserve it now," Mariku snarled, removing his own pants, smirking at the terror that was rapidly growing in Yami's eyes. "I was going to make it easier on you by giving you some pleasure as well. Now I see you want it rough like the whore you are."

 **(WARNING! THE RAPE STARTS HERE! I'LL TELL YOU WHEN IT'S OVER!)**

He ignored the screams for him to stop as he positioned himself at Yami's entrance, thrusting in without a second thought.

Yami screamed, not only due to the current agony coursing through his veins, but also because of the horrific flash backs of when this event had first taken place. The cruel way he'd been thrown to the side after it was all over, like he was nothing but a rag doll for someone to pick up and play with.

"That… feel good?" Mariku grinned at the look on his captive's face. The teen was obviously trying to contain the tears that were currently trailing down his cheeks, but failing miserably.

"Stop… it..." The former Pharaoh grunted, only to scream once again as he was thrust into harder.

It felt like an eternity had passed when Mariku finally pulled out of his body, the look of relief clear on the smaller yami's face. That relief soon faded, however, when he remembered that neither of them had cum yet.

Horror crossed his face in an instant.

"Come here," Mariku commanded, gesturing with his finger. Instead of waiting for an answer, he dug his fingers into the others' wild hair and pulled the youth forward.

Yami glared at him defiantly, but the feeling of a knife on the back of his throat forced him to, reluctantly, start sucking the other man's length.

"If I feel any teeth, Pharaoh, little Yugi will take your place," the other yami grunted. He smirked, "And we wouldn't want that happening would we?" Yami shook his head slightly.

"Good boy..." The blonde cooed, chuckling with deranged glee.

 **(IT'S OVER! YOU CAN LOOK NOW!)**

* * *

 _He_ was gone, but the dirty, worthless feeling wasn't.

Tears were slowly making their way down Yami's cheeks, his body shaking with pain and anger.

"You… bastard..."

* * *

 **Sorry about the abrupt ending, but I'm really not feeling well.**

 **(1) Please don't ask me how an Egyptian knows Japanese. Oh, and yes, Yami means darkness in Japanese.**

 **(2) I don't really know - or care - if this is accurate or not, but I believe it is...**

 **Q &A:**

 _What was with that flashback with "Mariku and Atem"?_

 **The beginning of their relationship, basically. I know I made Atem a little OOC, but seriously. If you always pretend you're strong and perfect, you're going to have a little break down.**

 _I'm confused. Mariku raped Atem and them left him for dead? Why? It's a little sudden. They seemed happy together._

 **Mariku raped Atem, yes, but quite awhile (as in many months) after they first met. The reason why he did will be revealed in the next chapter. I revealed the fact that he raped Atem so now you can see why he's so skittish around Mariku / Yami Marik.**

 _Yami / Atem loves Bakura? Huh?_

 **Eh, he does, deep down inside his heart. He just won't admit it yet. He said that out-loud to piss Yami Marik off.**

 _This is the most confusing plot to date._

 **Though I agree, that's kind of the point. All will be revealed in time. Patience, young Padawan (or however the hell you spell it e_e).**

 **Anywho, that's all I can think of for now. If you're reading this, review, because if you don't, you're bring quite rude and will be wacked on the head with a stick. Just kidding. But seriously, review. Thanks for reading, see you guys next time.**

 **(Next chapter will focus more on Bakura and his adorable feelings, along with the others)**


	5. Chapter 5 - What Once Was Mine

**Damn, haven't updated this in forever. Sorry about that, my lovelies! I appreciate the reviews, by the way. Thank you Gewlface and all my other loyal reviewers!**

 **Disclaimer: What do you think.**

 **This chapter is nearly 2,000 words, like all of my chapters, but it was extremely hard to write. That, and the fact that I was busy and sick is why it took me so darn long to upload this. Please forgive me!**

* * *

 _ **Even Heaven Cries**_

 _ **Chapter 4 – What Once Was Mine**_

"It's alright, Yugi, don't worry," Ryou said comfortingly, rubbing small circles on his sobbing friend's back. "We'll save Yami. Bakura's already devising a plan with Marik as we speak."

Yugi sniffled, wiping his big eyes and smiling slightly. "Hopefully it's a practical one, unlike their other plans," he joked.

The other 10th grader laughed. "I hope so too." He sent his friend an encouraging smile, "Yami's strong, Yugi, as are you. Both of you can get through this, alright?"

"Thank you, Ryou," Yugi whispered. _'Ra, how I pray he's right…'_

* * *

"I never thought we'd be plotting to 'save' the Pharaoh, but here we are, doing just that," Bakura muttered.

Marik shrugged. "We didn't think my dark-side would come back either, yet he did. We were unprepared for that as well."

Noting the bitterness in the Egyptian's last sentence, Bakura raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"I… I've been having nightmares recently," the blonde admitted quietly. "They're almost like flashbacks of Battle City, but gruesome and violent. And _he_ appears in every single one of them _._ I could've told _someone_ -"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You're saying you could've stopped that pathetic bastard? How so? No offense, Ishtar, but without the Millennium Rod, you're pretty much useless."

Marik smirked. "Same goes for you and your Ring."

"Speaking of the Ring..." The thief smirked, mirroring his former partner's expression, "I didn't know you had feelings for my hikari, Marik."

The young Egyptian blushed at the sudden change of topic and shook his head. "I didn't see any reason to tell you, or anyone else for that matter."

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "He's _my_ hikari, and if you wish to put your filthy paws on him, you'll have to get through me."

" _Filthy?"_ Marik gasped indignantly.

Bakura smirked.

"What's so funny?" Yugi asked, walking into the room with a tray of lemonade and Ryou at his heels.

"Nothing," both muttered.

"Have you figured out a way to save Yami, Bakura?" Ryou inquired softly as he distributed the glasses.

"Sort of," the albino yami responded, sighing at the looks of confusion. "I have the core part of the plan sorted, but there are a few kinks."

"What's the plan?" Yugi asked curiously, a small candle of hope flickering in his heart.

"My darkness took Yami to Egypt, **(1)** " Marik began, "which is where we'll have to travel if we want to catch a glimpse of your yami again Yugi."

Ryou suddenly beamed. "My father's in Egypt right now; we could stay at the house he bought for when he travels there. I stay there myself when I visit him. Oh, and I'm sure he'd pay for our plane tickets as well."

"Really?" The other three said in unison. Ryou nodded his head excitedly.

"Well, in that case..." Marik stood up, ripping a sheet of paper from a notepad and grabbing a pen that lay on the coffee table. He slowly began drawing. "First, we'll need someone – or something – to distract that bastard. Any volunteers?"

"I'll do it."

They all blinked in shock. Bakura, the former King of Thieves, the Pharaoh's arch-enemy, had volunteered first? Not to mention _quickly?_

"Are you sure, yami?" Ryou asked softly.

"No, I only said that because I wanted attention," Bakura said sarcastically. "Yes, I'm bloody sure. What do I have to do Ishtar? Run around in circles screeching? Taunt him? Throw a few punches?"

The Egyptian rolled his eyes. "No. I was thinking more along the lines of talking to him. Choose a topic that'll get under his skin. That would distract him more than anything else."

"Wouldn't that make things worse?" Yugi piped up worriedly. He frowned. "What if he hurts Yami because of it?"

Marik shook his head. "Don't worry. By the time he actually gets worked up, Yami should be safe."

"I wouldn't count on that, hikari."

Lavender pupils dilated at the all-too familiar voice.

Though his physical presence wasn't within the room, Yami Marik's voice could be heard loud and clear; almost as if he was speaking with a microphone.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubbles, but I'm afraid rescuing your Pharaoh is impossible," a menacing chuckle followed these words. "I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble just to have you steal him away from me again."

"Let Yami go!" Yugi shouted, standing suddenly from his place on the couch.

Ryou quickly stood as well and placed a hand on his shoulder, silently pleading for the boy to calm down, but the gesture went unnoticed.

"He doesn't belong to you!" The young duelist continued angrily, "He isn't a possession to be stolen and traded around! He's a person, not a toy!"

"Valiant speech, little Yugi," Though those in the room couldn't see them, Yami Marik's violet eyes were twinkling with deranged mirth. "But I'm afraid yelling at me won't help."

"As much as I hate to say this, Yugi, he's right," Marik mumbled, shaking his head. "We can't let him get under our skin if we're going to help your yami."

The menacing voice chuckled again. "Wise words I didn't know you were capable of speaking, hikari. Usually, your mouth is doing things other than talking."

Marik's eyes narrowed at the blatant insult, biting his lip to keep from retorting.

"Leave them alone," Ryou whispered suddenly, his previously-limp hands curling into fists.

"What was that, little Ryou?" Yami Marik smirked as he slowly transformed from an invisible spirit to flesh and blood **(2).**

Narrowing his chocolate eyes and raising his naturally-quiet voice, Ryou replied firmly, "I said, leave them alone. You have Yugi's yami; and that pains us more than anything, knowing he's hurt."

" _How dare you act as if you know pain!_ " The psychotic blonde suddenly shrieked, eyes blazing with anger, startling those in the room before him.

An eerie silence filled the room after the outburst. No one dared say a word for fear of egging the yami on and pouring more fuel on the fire. Yami Marik stared blankly forward, as if in a trance, before a smile that would've frozen hell over touched his lips.

"It pains you..." Cocking his head to the side, Yami Marik stared at Ryou for a moment. "Tell me, boy. What does the word 'pain' mean?"

Ryou swallowed nervously, surprised by the question, before taking a deep breath to steady his beating heart. "Pain… isn't the emotion you feel when you cut yourself, or when you trip and fall," his voice was slowly gaining more confidence as he spoke, "that emotion is hurt, something that only wounds the surface. But pain cuts deep, scarring you for as long as you live. Being hurt is not the same as being in pain." **(3)**

Bakura's eyes widened slightly at his hikari's words. The way he had worded his short speech… it sounded as if Ryou knew the difference all too well. He'd never admit it, but he prayed it was not he who had scarred Ryou in such a way.

"Ryou..." Marik whispered sympathetically. The boy forced a smile and bowed his head, hiding his tear-filled eyes behind his bangs.

"Touching," Yami Marik sneered. "Don't think I've forgotten about your little crush, hikari. On the contrary. I still plan on using it as a… hmm, shall we say, 'bargaining chip', no matter what promises I've made to the Pharaoh. The only promise I've made so far that I plan on keeping at the moment is not killing you all. But when I get bored of this game, I'll eradicate the other players, and claim my prize."

"That, is only if someone doesn't beat you to it," Bakura snorted. He grinned. "Pride comes before a fall, _Mariku._ " He laughed at the look of fury on the blonde's face. "You used to tell me that all the time, remember? You should practice what you preach."

" _You,_ are going to be the first to die," the other yami hissed. " _Remember that_."

"We'll see," Bakura responded, flashing his trademark grin. "Who knows? You could be the first, not I."

Mariku grinned coldly at the these words, snapping his fingers, the room slowly filling with an ominous white light.

"Let's test that theory, shall we?"

* * *

Yami winced as he awakened at the sharp pains in his rear and so many other parts of his body. His mental scarring was far, far more severe, having been betrayed - _raped! -_ for the second time in his life by the person he had, once, loved so dearly.

"That bastard..." Yami muttered to himself, trying to fight back tears welling up in his eyes. "He saved me from rapists, yet became one himself, then wonders why I wish he'd be sent to the depths of hell."

The memory of the pain Mariku had caused him was all too vivid in the Pharaoh's mind. Although he had never informed his aibou or his friends, severe nightmares had tormented Yami night after night, all of them having something in common.

Mariku.

" _So, Atem..." Mariku began, staring down at his lover, "...what do you do in your spare time?"_

 _Atem shrugged. "Well, sometimes I watch Mana preform magic, and –"_

" _Mana?" Mariku raised an eyebrow. "She isn't competition, is she?"_

 _The prince smirked, "Aren't we possessive?" Letting out a laugh, he shook his head. "Mana is 14, so don't worry. You'll have me for a little while longer."_

 _The blonde grasped the others' face softly, gazing into those gorgeous ruby pools. "Can I keep you **forever**?" He smirked._

 _Atem smiled. "Of course, but only if I get to keep you as well."_

" _Are you two love birds finished?" Bakura growled irritably. He reminded Atem of a bored child asking their chatting mother to hurry up. "In case you forgot, we have a job to do, Mariku."_

 _The lavender-eyed youth rolled his eyes and shook his head. Giving Atem one more kiss on the cheek, he walked away with Bakura, who glanced over his shoulder at the Egyptian prince behind them before turning around once more and continuing on his way._

"One of Mariku's supposed allies came up to me," Yami said, wincing at the painful memory. "I'd seen him around Mariku and he was a seemingly good person, but... he drugged me. I had sex with him, but it wasn't consensual; I'd never betray Mariku. But, damn him, he just wouldn't listen!"

"To what?"

Yami's eyes widened briefly at the voice before narrowing. "You know what, you bastard."

Mariku walked out of the shadows, chuckling. "Yes, but I'd love to see how you word it. Tell me, Atem, what did you tell me that I refused to listen to?"

"I told you it wasn't consensual. That I still loved you," the former Pharaoh answered, voice booming proudly. "I told you I had made a mistake, even if it wasn't truly my fault for trusting someone you yourself had faith in. Does that satisfy you, or do I need to say it again?"

The blonde yami snarled, but said nothing. Turning on his heel, he marched out of the room, not wanting Yami to see the emotion on his face.

But what emotion was it? Sadness? Anger?

Pain?

* * *

 **Yes, it would seem Mariku has a heart after all. Poor sweetie. He's actually just a big teddy bear (a psycho one).**

 **also I just realized my fics have the cheesiest lines**

 **(1) Lol, I just realized that this basically translates to "My darkness took darkness to Egypt", considering "yami" is darkness in Japanese (although they used yami in the English dub).**

 **(2) Don't ask.**

 **(3) I made this speech once before, and people thought it was really deep, so I stuck it in here. Hope you don't mind. (now I feel like an idiot) Also, POOR RYOU! WHY CAN'T I STOP MYSELF FROM ADDING RYOU ANGST?!**

 **In an attempt to see if people actually want my story to continue (because the lack of reviews is starting to make me feel unloved ;_;) I'm going to ask that I get at least 1 to 2 reviews before I post the next chapter. Okay? Okay. Thank you!**

 **(And I know, I have 7 wonderful reviews, but I have a HUGE amount of views, so now you can see why I feel as if not too many people like this story.)**


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